This Rainbow Slaw is celebrates the vibrancy of the produce aisle. Almost every color of the rainbow is represented in this fresh, crunchy slaw, served in lettuce cups with a simple lime vinaigrette.
Enjoy the slaw as a festive side dish for summer parties. Spoon it into lettuce cups for an easy-to-grab appetizer. Add it to your meal plan any time you’re looking to eat the rainbow. This slaw has so much flavor, and you can add your favorite compatible protein to make it a complete meal. Or, use one of our protein pairing suggestions:
- For the Original Whole30, try it with this Taco-Spiced Cod.
- For the Plant-Based Whole30, try it with our Salt and Pepper Tofu.
Mix and match your colors
Because this recipe is all about the variation of vibrant colors, it’s easy to customize based on what you have on hand or what you love. Here are a few ideas:
- Swap snap peas for snow peas, thinly sliced cucumber, or green apple to vary shades of green.
- Add fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro to add even more green.
- Thinly slice some Pink Lady apples (skin on) for a pop of red.
- Swap red, green, or orange bell pepper for the yellow.
- Try thinly sliced mango or segmented mandarin oranges to add a touch of orange.
- Use rainbow carrots to add even more color variation.
Part of the fun of this delicious slaw is trying new vegetables, and shopping to maximize your color palette.
Serving Suggestions
Dress the slaw just before serving so it stays crisp and the colors remain vivid. If prepping ahead, store the slaw, dressing, and protein separately and assemble at the table. Garnish with fresh-squeezed lime juice, chopped scallions, and cilantro. Add compatible sauces like salsa or guacamole for extra flavor.
You might not need all of the dressing, so start with half, and toss everything together. Add more if needed. The remaining dressing is great to drizzle over protein or salad; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe and photography by Reed Dunn of Pesto and Potatoes.
Ingredients
For the slaw
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced into matchsticks
- 1½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced into matchsticks
- 1½ cups snap peas thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 2 cups green cabbage very thinly shredded
- 2 cups purple cabbage very thinly shredded
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup lime juice about 3 limes
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove finely grated
- ¾ tsp sea salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
For serving
- 1 head butter lettuce leaves separated and washed
- sliced scallions optional, for garnish
- chopped cilantro optional, for garnish
Instructions
- WHISK lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- ARRANGE slaw vegetables in a large bowl in color order: red bell pepper, carrot, yellow pepper, snap peas, green cabbage, and purple cabbage. Do not toss yet.
- JUST before serving, drizzle dressing over the slaw and toss gently to coat, keeping the colors as visible as possible.
- FINISH with chopped scallions and cilantro.
- SPOON slaw into butter lettuce cups and serve.
